Help! Food weighing confusion.

This topic contains 5 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by Nika 10 years, 11 months ago.

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Mielie7

4:42 pm
24 Oct 13
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Hi there, I’ve just got the book and started the diet a week ago but I’m really confused about whether to weigh my food before or after cooking it? For example on page 141 (Day 2) there’s a porridge recipe for breakfast and I’ve been making it using 40g of uncooked porridge and then cooking it with water. It does seem rather a lot and I’m not sure if I should be eating only 40g of cooked porridge? This seems more difficult to manage though as presumably the density will vary depending on how much water it has absorbed?
Could anyone un-confuse me?!
Thanks!
Mielie7

fast for life

11:13 am
26 Oct 13
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Hi Mielie7 welcome to the forum, i always weigh my items in the uncooked state, most things have cals on the pack so you can always check the porridge and work it out, if im roasting veg then i just count the oil i use even if most is left in the pan, also i keep a list of items with weights and cal counts so i dont have to keep working everything out each time. best of luck and keep us posted on your journey x

symba7

3:11 pm
26 Oct 13
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My husband eats 40gr of porridge, with 100 ml semi milk and about 80 ml water.

I find this too much for me, I have 28 gr, with 100 ml semi milk and 80 ml water. He likes his very very thick ( Daddy bear), I like mine more thinner ( Baby bear) it gives me more calories towards my night dinner, as he already has 100cals more than me.

ClaireP

7:01 pm
28 Oct 13
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Hello All
Yes, I was about to ask a similar question. I’m doing my first Fast day today and half way through my meal suddenly struck by the thought that I had weighed my food incorrectly!

I weighed my rice noodles before cooking – 50g ! didn’t weigh them afterwards. YIKES will this affect the calorie content???

Figure it to be a bit of a nuisance having to cook food first then weigh it …don’t like to have to waste food if I cook too much!

Thank you!

sylvestra

1:31 am
28 Nov 13
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On the packet containing the porridge oats there will be a list of the nutritional values including the calorie value per 100g. This is 100g of dry weight. I make my porridge with 25g of oats plus enough water to half fill my bowl (around 100 ml) then i microwave it for 2 mins and eat it with 50mls of unsweetened almond milk. 106 calories in total.

most calorie sites (e.g. My Fitness Pal) give values for dry, uncooked pasta, rice, noodles etc It’s best weighed before cooking.

Nika

3:26 am
29 Nov 13
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Hey ClaireP. Cooking something doesn’t affect the calorie content one bit… When you cook noodles for example, the only thing they do is absorb water. And water has no calories. Same goes for rice and veggies and all the other stuff you cook. It doesn’t magically drain calories from the water or something 😛
The box always gives you the calories in “dry weight” as Sylvestra also said. Some also give you “per portion” or “per 100g prepared product” but I just stick to the 100g thing.

I never weigh my food, I am more of a guesser / estimater. So when I buy a 250g pack of bacon I just use about half and know it should be around 125g. Weighing seems like a hassle to me.